Newton beats Franklin, advances to state semifinal

By David Berry

Updated 10:36 pm, Friday, December 7, 2012

Newton s Jace Thomas catches a pass during the Class 2A Division I state quarterfinals against Franklin Friday at Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin. (Matt Billiot/Special to the Enterprise)

Newton s Jace Thomas catches a pass during the Class 2A Division I...

Newton running back Kevin shorter rushes for a touchdown during the Class 2A Division I state quarterfinals against Franklin Friday at Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin. (Matt Billiot/Special to the Enterprise)

Newton running back Kevin shorter rushes for a touchdown during the...

Newton?s Rodney Elam, No. 5, fights for extra yards after a catch during the Class 2A Division I state quarterfinals against Franklin Friday at Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin. (Matt Billiot/Special to the Enterprise)

Newton?s Rodney Elam, No. 5, fights for extra yards after a catch...

Newton quarterback Dale Dean, right, rushes for a touchdown during the Class 2A Division I state quarterfinals against Franklin Friday at Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin. (Matt Billiot/Special to the Enterprise)

Newton quarterback Dale Dean, right, rushes for a touchdown during...

Newton s Rodney Elam, No. 5, fights for extra yards after a catch during the Class 2A Division I state quarterfinals against Franklin Friday at Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin. (Matt Billiot/Special to the Enterprise)

Newton s Rodney Elam, No. 5, fights for extra yards after a catch...

A Franklin player is tackled by a host of Newton defenders during the Class 2A Division I state quarterfinals Friday at Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin. (Matt Billiot/Special to the Enterprise)

A Franklin player is tackled by a host of Newton defenders during...

Newton quarterback Dale Dean, No. 2, rushes during the Class 2A Division I state quarterfinals against Franklin Friday at Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin. (Matt Billiot/Special to the Enterprise)

Newton quarterback Dale Dean, No. 2, rushes during the Class 2A...

Newton running back Kevin shorter rushes for a touchdown during the Class 2A Division I state quarterfinals against Franklin Friday at Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin. (Matt Billiot/Special to the Enterprise)

Newton running back Kevin shorter rushes for a touchdown during the...

A sign displayed by Newton fans during the Class 2A Division I state quarterfinals against Franklin Friday at Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin. (Matt Billiot/Special to the Enterprise)

Kevin Shorter broke into the secondary and was on the way to his fourth touchdown of the game. Then the ball slipped out of his grasp.

The ball bounced right back into the Newton running back's hands and he sprinted 31 yards for the score.

It was one of many bounces that went the Eagles way in a 49-13 victory over Franklin in a Class 2A Division I quarterfinal matchup.

Shorter ran for 273 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Newton offense. He opened the scoring by taking a dive play right up the middle for a 59-yard touchdown run just three plays into Newton's first drive.

The Eagles (13-0) as a team ran for 415 yards.

"I give all the credit to the offensive line," Shorter said. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have been able to do what I did tonight."

Newton, ranked third in the final regular-season state poll, will face No. 2 Cameron Yoe in a state semifinal next week at a date, site and time still to be determined as of late Friday.

Yoe beat Hallettsville 38-19 in another quarterfinal Friday.

Against Newton, Franklin (10-3) employed a Slot T offense which ran right up to the line of scrimmage and hiked the ball quickly. The scheme was effective for most of the first half, but Franklin couldn't break through for a score.

The first 12 minutes was a bit of a struggle for Newton, which led only 8-0 going into the second quarter.

Newton went into halftime up 28-0, buoyed by a three-touchdown second quarter. Shorter scored with runs of 34 and 53 yards and Dean took a quarterback keeper and scampered just inside the left pylon for a three-yard score.

By the time Darius Floyd scored for Franklin, Newton already racked up 42 points. The Lions were held to their second-lowest scoring output of the season.

The Eagles were able to cruise in the second half and rested Shorter for most of the fourth quarter.